All - Who do you suggest to re valve and rebuild your forks for a snowbike?
2015 Husky 501
2015 Husky 501
Forks
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I spoke with Shawn at Motion Sports/RG3 NW Suspension Center in Coeur D' Alene ID last week. He seemed knowledgeable and has some experience with snowbikes. I will probably have him respring and revavle the forks on my SX-F 450 for dedicated winter use. It would be nice to get an actual review on them or some others in the northwest before spending the $$$. 
I spoke with Shawn at Motion Sports/RG3 NW Suspension Center in Coeur D' Alene ID last week. He seemed knowledgeable and has some experience with snowbikes. I will probably have him respring and revavle the forks on my SX-F 450 for dedicated winter use. It would be nice to get an actual review on them or some others in the northwest before spending the $$$.
Chaun does excellent work. I haven't run his winter set-up, but I do have RG3 set-up by him for summer. His settings were spot on for me.
They have always done good work for everyone I know. I will be using his forks this winter!
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
Depends on your budget a little bit. Make them as stiff as possible is my experience.I put custom .58 springs in mine and wish I would've gone stiffer. Before this winter I'm going to add more oil and hope that helps because I don't want to spend anymore money on my forks.
Edit because i forgot: 6'1" 170
Edit because i forgot: 6'1" 170
Stiffest fork spring I can find is a 54. Anyone know where I can find stiffer ones?
A
AKdragon700
Well-known member
Worth every penny!
Post from last winter, KTM 500 XC-W:
https://www.facebook.com/Motion-Spor...=posts_to_page
I shipped my forks off to Chaun at Motion Sports this summer and had him do a Snowbike Specific Build. I believe he puts custom cut .65 springs in them, and then of course valving and oil.
Talk about a world of difference!! I love them so much and trust my front end through anything now.
The other day I was able to do flat ground hop turns on my bike with the 2.5 convex track, TSS, and these forks. I was able to push the front end in, then wheelie over into my next turn without the ski touching, such a cool feeling.
Post from last winter, KTM 500 XC-W:
https://www.facebook.com/Motion-Spor...=posts_to_page
I shipped my forks off to Chaun at Motion Sports this summer and had him do a Snowbike Specific Build. I believe he puts custom cut .65 springs in them, and then of course valving and oil.
Talk about a world of difference!! I love them so much and trust my front end through anything now.
The other day I was able to do flat ground hop turns on my bike with the 2.5 convex track, TSS, and these forks. I was able to push the front end in, then wheelie over into my next turn without the ski touching, such a cool feeling.
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Springs help a lot, but there is no replacement for upgraded valving. We are able to create loading scenarios on these forks that far exceeds what would happen in dirt and we just blow through the rate. Stiff springs are a must to keep things up in the stroke, but again, we need some seriously aggressive valving to handle the "slapping" against the front end which quickly blows through the stroke.
I have been working with a local moto shop as Im a light rider and was having NO problem smashing through my '14 yz forks with thicker oil, clickers maxed and stiffer springs when we started jumping this spring. They work awesome for day to day riding but as soon as I start to get aggresive with jumping they are very easy to blow through.
I have been working with a local moto shop as Im a light rider and was having NO problem smashing through my '14 yz forks with thicker oil, clickers maxed and stiffer springs when we started jumping this spring. They work awesome for day to day riding but as soon as I start to get aggresive with jumping they are very easy to blow through.
Seems to be reinforcing the fact that one needs separate dedicated snow and summer bikes if you really enjoy riding bikes.
I am a firm believer in that... So do you guys have an Lt. that is running the .62 I would think that would exaggerate the need for heavier springs.. I got a valve kit and am changing from a .52 on my cr500 to ?..... Think the .62 seems to be the rate... I am about 220 with all my crap and I would say another 20 pounds of tools ....
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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Yes and no... i found a cheap set of spare forks, got my summer setup valved nice and plush, and building a winter set that will take some serious work to bottom out.
Its really all in how you ride. I know plenty of guys that barely ever bottom out enduro bike forks. and I can barely keep my moto setup off the bumpers.
Can it be time for more of this?
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Absolutely. A great snow setup will be a bad dirt setup. I found a few take off forks for sale to build up as a dedicated winter set. Kind of hoping the prices will come down a bit to justify it. But that would be the ideal way to switch back and forth.
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MFJ
Well-known member
That is exactly the setup I was looking at doing but wasn't sure about 5wt. vs 15wt. A 15wt. will essentially just slow everything down correct?
Cannon Race springs will make you whatever you want, I'm a big guy so on my 500 AF (homemade 250x frame) pure dirtbike I need the heaviest springs made which if memory serves were like .54
I don't really know anything about snowbikes and have never ridden one but kept reading about stiffness needed in the forks so I had Cannon racecraft make me a set of springs that if I remember right were well into the 7.0 zone, I don't have the sheet in front of me. I know they coil bind 3/4" above the bottom of the fork or so so with the clamps on there I figured just about right. Valving I will need to play with but with my off road setup I build a little doublestack that is softer than stock on compression because of my extra spring rate and then stiffen up my rebound a bunch to slow the heavy spring....in this case I did it even more and will have to see but since they are open bath forks valve changes are pretty quick and painless. I went with a couple stacks that are very similar to what I run on my sand bike which is also a steel framed 500.
I'm using one of my steel 500's as a dedicated snowbike. I have been into 500's since like 1986 so I have had a bunch. I have gold valves and a set of some other brand valves that are anodized red and very similar in design and flow so I have my second attempt ready to go if I don't like my first go at it. The forks seem so stiff on there own guess we will see.
I'm just rambling off, I know how to ride a dirtbike, I know how to make the suspension work pretty good for a guy who is 6'4" tall and tipping the scales with gear on around 270+ (depending on cheeseburger intake) with my camelback stuffed full of tools, parts and water. I have no idea what I am doing with a snow bike and no idea what the suspension is going to do, but from watching videos with smaller guys on bikes bottoming them out everywhere I could tell springs were needed for sure. Its pretty tough to compensate as hard as it looked like was needed with anything other than springs. higher oil levels will help resist bottoming but if you are already half way through the stroke your just going to turn it into a rigid I think
Can't wait to start playing and figure this thing out!!!! hopefully I like it.
I don't really know anything about snowbikes and have never ridden one but kept reading about stiffness needed in the forks so I had Cannon racecraft make me a set of springs that if I remember right were well into the 7.0 zone, I don't have the sheet in front of me. I know they coil bind 3/4" above the bottom of the fork or so so with the clamps on there I figured just about right. Valving I will need to play with but with my off road setup I build a little doublestack that is softer than stock on compression because of my extra spring rate and then stiffen up my rebound a bunch to slow the heavy spring....in this case I did it even more and will have to see but since they are open bath forks valve changes are pretty quick and painless. I went with a couple stacks that are very similar to what I run on my sand bike which is also a steel framed 500.
I'm using one of my steel 500's as a dedicated snowbike. I have been into 500's since like 1986 so I have had a bunch. I have gold valves and a set of some other brand valves that are anodized red and very similar in design and flow so I have my second attempt ready to go if I don't like my first go at it. The forks seem so stiff on there own guess we will see.
I'm just rambling off, I know how to ride a dirtbike, I know how to make the suspension work pretty good for a guy who is 6'4" tall and tipping the scales with gear on around 270+ (depending on cheeseburger intake) with my camelback stuffed full of tools, parts and water. I have no idea what I am doing with a snow bike and no idea what the suspension is going to do, but from watching videos with smaller guys on bikes bottoming them out everywhere I could tell springs were needed for sure. Its pretty tough to compensate as hard as it looked like was needed with anything other than springs. higher oil levels will help resist bottoming but if you are already half way through the stroke your just going to turn it into a rigid I think
Can't wait to start playing and figure this thing out!!!! hopefully I like it.
